Royal Photographer Reveals How Camilla Taught Charles 'to Be Human’ After Diana: 'She Is Still...'
King Charles III’s path to the throne has been anything but smooth, marked by the collapse of his marriage to Princess Diana, years of public criticism, and an enduring love story that began under a cloud of controversy. Yet, those who know him say his now-wife, Queen Camilla, has been a transformative force in his life. Despite the scandal surrounding their early relationship, royal photographer Ian Pelham Turner claims Camilla has been 'a much stronger person' for the King.
“I want Charles to have his time, I get it, I think in a lot of ways, he is a very good King, I really do, and I think, where he’s come in his life now with Camilla by his side,” Turner told Mirror US. He added, “When I look at Camilla nowadays, although she’s still vilified by women over 50, because they remember Diana, I think in a lot of ways, she’s actually taught Charles how to be human.”
One of Ian Pelham Turner’s final photography assignments before moving into television was covering the wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate. He recalled that when Charles and William first arrived, they headed straight into the church without greeting the crowd that was, as he put it, '10,000 people deep' and visibly disappointed. But as the ceremony ended and Charles and Camilla rode away in their carriage, Pelham Turner witnessed Camilla turn to her husband and say, “Wave,” and he did.
Turner also claims Camilla plays a crucial role in Palace dynamics, particularly in moderating William’s influence, the Cosmopolitan reported. “I think what is happening at the moment, and it’s just my inkling, but I get the feeling at the moment that she’s seeing William trying to create issues, and she’s told Charles to stop it.” His comments come amid rumors that William and Middleton intend to steer the monarchy in a new direction once they take the throne. “I think the reality is, it’s been rumored for a while, that William has been trying to push — whatever — in the monarchy, at the moment, that he’s the driving force behind the throne, and I think, Charles should be,” Pelham Turner argued. Similarly, earlier, Grant Harrold, who served as Charles’s butler from 2004 to 2011, believes Camilla has helped the monarch become more relaxed and authentic.
“She’s helped him become more comfortable and more himself. I think we see more of the real him thanks to her,” Harrold said. “She makes him laugh a lot. We always see him laughing now. I’m not saying he didn’t laugh before, or he didn’t have fun, but there was a point where he did become quite serious, probably when he was extremely unhappy in his previous marriage.”
Earlier this year, Charles and Camilla marked their 20th wedding anniversary, having tied the knot in April 2005. Over the years, Harrold says, her presence has changed the King’s public demeanor. “Suddenly, you see him laughing and joking and being more like himself again, and comfortable with her. It is amazing, and she’s been an amazing support to him.”